The International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced on Friday that it has officially received the request made three weeks ago by the United Nations
...an organization which on balance has done more bad than good, with the good not done well and the bad done thoroughly...
General Assembly (UNGA) asking the court to weigh in on the Israeli-Paleostinian conflict, Israeli "annexation" and the "legal status of the occupation."
The court said in a short statement Friday that the request was issued in a letter dated January 17, 2023 by UN Secretary-General António Guterres
...Portuguese politician and diplomat, ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations. Previously, he was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees between 2005 and 2015. He was the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and was the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party from 1992 to 2002. He served as President of the Socialist International from 1999 to 2005. In both a 2012 and 2014 poll, the Portuguese public ranked him as the best Prime Minister of the previous 30 years...and was received on Thursday. The document, which cited sections of the resolution, offered no details on the court’s next steps.
The UN General Assembly passed a resolution late last month asking the court for an "advisory opinion," on Israel’s "prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of Paleostinian territory." It also called for an investigation into Israeli measures "aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem" and charged that Israel has adopted "discriminatory legislation and measures."
The resolution — promoted by the Paleostinians and passed by a vote of 87 in favor, 26 against, with 53 abstentions — demanded the court weigh in on the conflict in accordance with international law and the UN charter. The vote came a month after the UN’s Fourth Committee passed a similar resolution, setting the stage for the General Assembly process.
In his letter this week, Guterres wrote that his office "will start to prepare a dossier containing a collection of all relevant documents" related to the questions posed in the resolution that "will be transmitted to the Court in due course."
Israel denounced the UNGA resolution, with Israeli envoy to the UN Gilad Erdan calling the vote a "moral stain" on the world body. He argued at the time that the vote delegitimizes and demonizes Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the UNGA over the resolution, accusing the global body of "distorting historical facts" and declaring that the Jewish people cannot be "an occupier" in its own land.
The ICJ, also known as the world court, is the top UN court for mediating disputes between countries. Its rulings are binding and influence public opinion but it has no mechanism for enforcement.
Well then.
The court is separate from the International Criminal Court, which is also in The Hague.The court last issued an advisory opinion on the Israeli-Paleostinian conflict in 2004 when the General Assembly asked it to rule on the legality of the separation barrier. The court ruled that the separation barrier Israel built was "contrary to international law" and called on the country to immediately halt construction.
Israel has ignored the decision, arguing that the barrier was a security measure meant to prevent Paleostinian attackers from reaching Israeli cities.
And now countries all over the world are honouring the court’s decision by building security barriers of their own against malign invaders.
The Paleostinians have said the structure was an Israeli land grab because of its route through east Jerusalem and parts of the West Bank.The UN has a long history of passing resolutions against Israel, which has accused the world body of bias, together with the US. Israel has also accused the Paleostinians, who have nonmember observer state status at the UN, of trying to use the world body to circumvent peace negotiations and impose a settlement.